Position Sensor and Washing Machine

Abstract

Described is a position sensor device for determining a position of a movable object. The position sensor device includes (a) a magnetic field source fixed on a movable object, (b) a first magnetic field detector located at a first position and detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the first position, (c) a second magnetic field detector located at a second position and detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the second position, and (d) a position determining unit determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
   
   
       35 . A position sensor device for determining a position of a movable object, comprising:
 a magnetic field source fixed on a movable object;   a first magnetic field detector located at a first position and detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the first position;   a second magnetic field detector located at a second position and detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the second position; and   a position determining unit determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.   
   
   
       36 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the magnetic field source is a permanent magnetic element. 
   
   
       37 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the magnetic field source is a coil being activatable by applying an electrical signal to the coil. 
   
   
       38 . The position sensor device according to  claim 37 , wherein the coil is activatable by applying a continuous electrical signal to the coil. 
   
   
       39 . The position sensor device according to  claim 37 , wherein the coil is activatable by applying one of an alternating and pulsed electrical signal to the coil. 
   
   
       40 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the magnetic field source is a longitudinally magnetized region of the movable object. 
   
   
       41 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the magnetic field source is a circumferentially magnetized region of the movable object. 
   
   
       42 . The position sensor device according to  claim 41 , wherein the magnetic field source is formed by a first magnetic flow region oriented in a first direction and a second magnetic flow region oriented in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction. 
   
   
       43 . The position sensor device according to  claim 42 , wherein, in a cross-sectional view of the movable object, there is (a) the first circular magnetic flow having the first direction and a first radius and (b) the second circular magnetic flow having the second direction and a second radius, and wherein the first radius is larger than the second radius. 
   
   
       44 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the magnetic field source is manufactured in accordance with the following manufacturing steps:
 applying a first current pulse to a magnetizable element in such a manner that there is a first current flow in a first direction along a longitudinal axis of the magnetizable element   wherein the first current pulse is such that the application of the current pulse generates the magnetic field source in the magnetizable element.   
   
   
       45 . The position sensor device according to  claim 44 , wherein the manufacturing steps include
 applying a second current pulse to the magnetizable element in such a manner that there is a second current flow in a second direction along the longitudinal axis of the magnetizable element.   
   
   
       46 . The position sensor device according to  claim 45 , wherein each of the first and second current pulses has a raising edge and a falling edge and wherein the raising edge is steeper than the falling edge. 
   
   
       47 . The position sensor device according to  claim 45 , wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction. 
   
   
       48 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein at least one of the first magnetic field detector and the second magnetic field detector comprises at least one of the group consisting of: a coil; a Hall-effect probe; a Giant Magnetic Resonance magnetic field sensor; and a Magnetic Resonance magnetic field sensor. 
   
   
       49 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the position determining unit determines a position of the magnetic field source based on a ratio of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal. 
   
   
       50 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the position determining unit determines a position of the magnetic field source based on a difference of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal. 
   
   
       51 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the magnetic field source is arranged essentially symmetrically between the first magnetic field detector and the second magnetic field detector. 
   
   
       52 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a third magnetic field detector located at a third position and detecting a third magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the third position;   wherein the position determining unit determines the position of the magnetic field source based on the first magnetic field signal, the second magnetic field signal and the third magnetic field signal.   
   
   
       53 . The position sensor device according to  claim 52 , wherein the magnetic field source is arranged essentially symmetrically and essentially in the center of gravity of the first magnetic field detector, the second magnetic field detector and the third magnetic field detector. 
   
   
       54 . The position sensor device according to  claim 52 , wherein the first magnetic field detector, the second magnetic field detector, the third magnetic field detector and the magnetic field source are arranged in a plane. 
   
   
       55 . The position sensor device according to claim  18 , wherein the first magnetic field detector, the second magnetic field detector and the third magnetic field detector are arranged on the corners of an equilateral triangle. 
   
   
       56 . The position sensor device according to  claim 52 , further comprising:
 a forth magnetic field detector located at a forth position and detecting a forth magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the forth position;   wherein the position determining unit determines the position of the magnetic field source based on the first magnetic field signal, the second magnetic field signal, the third magnetic field signal and the forth magnetic field signal.   
   
   
       57 . The position sensor device according to  claim 56 , wherein the magnetic field source is arranged essentially symmetrically and essentially in the center of gravity of the first magnetic field detector, the second magnetic field detector, the third magnetic field detector and the forth magnetic field detector. 
   
   
       58 . The position sensor device according to  claim 56 , wherein the first magnetic field detector, the second magnetic field detector, the third magnetic field detector, the forth magnetic field detector and the magnetic field source are arranged in a plane. 
   
   
       59 . The position sensor device according to  claim 56 , wherein the first magnetic field detector, the second magnetic field detector, the third magnetic field detector and the forth magnetic field detector are arranged on the corners of a rectangle. 
   
   
       60 . The position sensor device according to  claim 56 , wherein the magnetic field detectors and the magnetic field source are arranged in a non-planar manner. 
   
   
       61 . The position sensor device according to  claim 60 , wherein the magnetic field detectors are arranged on corners of one of a tetrahedron and a cube. 
   
   
       62 . The position sensor device according to  claim 54 , wherein the position determining unit determines the position of the magnetic field source based on (a) a difference of the magnetic field signals and (b) an amplitude of the magnetic field signals. 
   
   
       63 . The position sensor device according to  claim 58 , wherein the position determining unit determines the position of the magnetic field source based on (a) a difference of the magnetic field signals and (b) an amplitude of the magnetic field signals. 
   
   
       64 . The position sensor device according to  claim 60 , wherein the position determining unit determines the position of the magnetic field source only based on a difference of the magnetic field signals. 
   
   
       65 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a signal linearization unit generating a linear signal being characteristic for the position of the movable object based on a difference between the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.   
   
   
       66 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a driver unit providing the magnetic field source with a driver signal for generating a magnetic field in accordance with the driver signal, the driver unit processing the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal in accordance with the driver signal.   
   
   
       67 . The position sensor device according to  claim 66 , wherein the driver unit filters the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal in accordance with the driver signal. 
   
   
       68 . The position sensor device according to  claim 66 , wherein the driver unit is a microprocessor. 
   
   
       69 . The position sensor device according to  claim 66 , wherein the driver unit includes a computer program element. 
   
   
       70 . The position sensor device according to  claim 35 , wherein the position sensor device is included in at least one of the group consisting of a washing machine, a tumble dryer, an automotive engine vibration detecting unit, an automotive suspension position detecting unit, an automotive light adjustment device, a bending measurement unit and a pressure measurement unit. 
   
   
       71 . A position sensor array, comprising:
 a movable object; and   a position sensor device determining a position of the movable object and including (a) a magnetic field source fixed on a movable object; (b) a first magnetic field detector located at a first position and detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the first position; (c) a second magnetic field detector located at a second position and detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the second position; and (d) a position determining unit determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.   
   
   
       72 . A washing machine, comprising:
 a static support;   a rotatable drum rotating with respect to the static support and receiving content to be washed; and   a position sensor device determining a position of the rotatable drum, the position sensor device including (a) a magnetic field source; (b) a magnetic field detector detecting a magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source; (c) a position determining unit determining a position of the rotatable drum based on the magnetic field signal,   wherein one of the magnetic field source and the magnetic field detector is fixed on the static support and the other one of the magnetic field source and the magnetic field detector is fixed on the rotatable drum.   
   
   
       73 . The washing machine according to  claim 72 , further comprising:
 a control unit controlling an operation of the washing machine based on the position of the rotatable drum which is provided to the control unit by the position sensor device.   
   
   
       74 . The washing machine according to  claim 72 , further comprising:
 a processing arrangement determining, based on the determined position of the rotatable drum, a loading weight of content to be washed received by the rotatable drum.   
   
   
       75 . The washing machine according to  claim 73 , wherein the magnetic field detector includes a plurality of spatially separated magnetic field detector units each adapted to detect a magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at a corresponding position of the respective magnetic field detector unit. 
   
   
       76 . The washing machine according to  claim 75 , wherein the magnetic field detector includes four magnetic field detector units arranged at corners of a rectangle. 
   
   
       77 . The washing machine according to  claim 75 , wherein the magnetic field detector comprises at least four magnetic field detector units arranged in a common plane. 
   
   
       78 . The washing machine according to  claim 75 , wherein the magnetic field detector comprises nine magnetic field detector units arranged in a common plane. 
   
   
       79 . The washing machine according to  claim 73 , wherein the magnetic field detector comprises at least one of the group consisting of: a coil; a Hall-effect probe; a Giant Magnetic Resonance magnetic field sensor; and a Magnetic Resonance magnetic field sensor. 
   
   
       80 . The washing machine according to  claim 73 , wherein the magnetic field source is a coil being activatable by applying an electrical signal to the coil. 
   
   
       81 . The washing machine according to  claim 80 , wherein the coil is activatable by applying a continuous electrical signal to the coil. 
   
   
       82 . The washing machine according to  claim 80 , wherein the coil is activatable by applying one of an alternating and pulsed electrical signal to the coil. 
   
   
       83 . The washing machine according to  claim 75 , wherein the magnetic field source is a permanent magnetic element. 
   
   
       84 . A washing machine, comprising
 a static support;   a rotatable drum rotating with respect to the static support and receiving content to be washed;   a position sensor device determining a position of the rotatable drum, the position sensor device including (a) a magnetic field source for generating a magnetic field; (b) a magnetic field sink; (c) a magnetic field detector detecting a magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source and modified by the magnetic field sink; (d) a position determining unit determining a position of the rotatable drum based on the magnetic field signal;   wherein one of the magnetic field sink and the magnetic field detector is fixed on the static support and the other one of the magnetic field sink and the magnetic field detector is fixed on the rotatable drum.   
   
   
       85 . The washing machine according to  claim 84 , wherein the magnetic field sink is an LC oscillator circuit. 
   
   
       86 . The washing machine according to  claim 84 , wherein the magnetic field source is a coil being activatable by applying an electrical signal to the coil. 
   
   
       87 . The washing machine according to  claim 86 , wherein the coil is activatable by applying an alternating electrical signal to the coil. 
   
   
       88 . The washing machine according to  claim 84 , wherein the magnetic field source and the magnetic field detector are formed as a common element. 
   
   
       89 . The washing machine according to  claim 84 , wherein the magnetic field source includes a plurality of magnetic field source units each adapted to generate an individual magnetic field. 
   
   
       90 . The washing machine according to  claim 84 , wherein the magnetic field detector comprises a plurality of magnetic field detector units each adapted to detect an individual magnetic field signal. 
   
   
       91 . The washing machine according to  claim 90 , wherein the position determining unit determines the position of the rotatable drum based on the individual magnetic field signals. 
   
   
       92 . A method for determining a position of a movable object, comprising:
 detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field at a first position generated by a magnetic field source to be fixed on the movable object;   detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field at a second position generated by the magnetic field source; and   determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.   
   
   
       93 . A sensor arrangement, comprising:
 a substrate;   a plurality of position sensor devices arranged on the substrate,   wherein each of the position sensor devices includes (a) a magnetic field source fixed on a movable object; (b) a first magnetic field detector located at a first position and detecting a first magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the first position; (c) a second magnetic field detector located at a second position and detecting a second magnetic field signal characteristic for a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field source at the second position; and (c) a position determining unit determining a position of the magnetic field source based on a comparison of the first magnetic field signal and the second magnetic field signal.   
   
   
       94 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 93 , wherein the sensor detects a spatial pattern of at least one of a pressure and bending load applied to the plurality of position sensor devices. 
   
   
       95 . The sensor arrangement according to  claim 93 , wherein the sensor is a crash test sensor arrangement.